Loom let-off mechanism



July 2, 1935. o. v. PAYNE 2,007,023

LOOM LET-OFF MECHANI SM Filed Oct. 3, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 1} nuentor GscauV. Paqne VWIM (lttornegs y 1935. o. v. PAYNE LOOM LET-OFF MECHANISM Filed 001;. 3, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 e nuentor' GscarV. Pasne MW attorneys July 2, 1935. o PAYNE 7 2,007,023

LOOM LET-OFF MECHANISM Filed Oct. 3, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 llll/Il nucntor' Oscar- V. Peg ne a ua-62 v A- g 2f llttornegs Patented July 2, 1935 LOOM LET-OFF MECHANISM Oscar V. Payne, Leicester, .Mass., assignor, to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application October 3, 1934, Serial No. 746.695

10 Claims. o1.1a9-100) This invention relates to looms for weaving textile fabrics and more particularly 'to the letofi mechanism used in such looms. Such let-off mechanism is provided to control the unwinding of the warp beam and to tension the warp threads during the weaving operation.

A let-oil mechanism for such purposes is shown in my prior Patent No. 1,803,143, issued April 23, 1931. It is the generalobject of my present invention to improve and simplify the construction shown in said prior patent/and to provide an improved let-off mechanism which may be economically manufactured and which will be effective and reliable in use.

My invention further relates to'arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

A preferred form of my invention is shown in the drawings, in which 7 Fig. 1 is a sideelevation of parts of a loom embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a partial plan view of the let-off mechanism, taken along the line 22 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged end elevation, looking in the direction of .the arrow 3 in Fig. 2:;

Fig.4 is a sectional plan view, taken along "the line 4-4 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 51s a partial end elevation, with certain parts broken away;

Fig. 6 is a sectional plan view, taken along the line 66 in Fig. 5;

Figs. '7, 8, 9 and 10 are front views of separate elements of a friction clutch;

Fig. 11 is a rear elevation, partly in section, looking in the direction of the arrow II in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 12 is a detail sectional plan view, taken along the line I2l2 in Fig. 11. Referring to the drawings, I haveshown 'por tions of a 100m frame l0. having supports or bearings H for a warp beam l2. The warp W is drawn from the warp beam l2 around a guide-roll l3 and is drawn forward through the harnesses M in the usual manner.

A gear l5 (Figs. 3 and) is mounted, on the gudgeon I6 of the warp beam l2 and is provided with a cap ll (Fig. 3) and bolts, l8 by which it may be secured in place. Lugs 20 (Figs; 3 and 4) on the web of the gear I5 engageopposite sides of a projection 2| on the hub of the warp beam I2, whereby a positive driving connection is insured between the gear I5.and wrap beam l 2.

' A gear casing 22 is mounted on and supported by the gear l5 andis preferably formed in two parts secured together by bolts 23; The casing 22 is provided with bearing surfaces 24 at each side of the web 25 of the gear l5, and is also provided with external annular bearing surfaces 26 engaging corresponding internal annular bearing surfaces 21 on the gear I5. By such engagement the casing 22 is accurately centered and firmly positioned, while at the same time permitting relative rotation of the gear.

An elongated pinion 30" (Fig. 4) mounted on a stud' 3| which is slidable but nonrotatable in bearings 32 and 33. A plate 35 (Figs. 6 and 10) is mounted with a drive fit on is loosely the stud 3 and is provided with lugs 36 adapted to be positioned in recesses 37 (Fig. 5) in a forwardly enlarged portion 38 of the casing 22. The plate 35 and stud 3l are thus held from rotation. 'j j A friction ring 40 (Fig. 8) of cork orf-other suitable material is mounted adjacent the plate 35-and a disc 42 is mountedadjacent the friction ring 40. The disc 42 hasits central portion formed to fit loosely around and between the teeth of the pinion 30, as shown in Fig.5, while its exterior diameter is such that it clears the inner face of the casing portion 38.

A second friction ring 40 is mounted at the opposite side of the disc 42, and a non-rotatable plate 44 is mounted adjacent the friction disc 40*. The plate 44 has an interior opening 45 of suflicient size to clear the pinion 30 and is provided with lugs 46 loosely fitting in' the casing recesses 3! previously described.

Additional members 40, 42 and 44 may be assembled as indicated in Fig. 6 to form afriction clutch having any desired number of plates.

A lever 50 (Fig. 3) is pivoted on a stud 5| mounted in bearing projections 52 on the cover '53 of the casing portion 38. A coil spring 55 (Fig. 11) is interposed between the lever 50 and the casing 22 and acts to force the contact end 56 (Fig. 4) of the lever 50, against the outer end of the stud 3!, thus applying pressure to the friction clutch members and normally preventing rotation of the pinion 3t] and gear 15, relative to the casing 22. I V

The lever 58 is provided with a cam-shaped end portion 51 positioned for engagement with a stud58 (Fig. 1) depending from a bracket59 v secured in fixed position on the loom frame H).

A counterweight 69 is suspended by a chain 6| from a stud 62 (Fig. 11) which extends across a suitable guide groove 63 in the periphery of the casing 22. As the lever 55 normally applies pressure through the friction clutch to prevent.

stud 58, the stud 58 moves the lever 50 against the pressure of the spring 55 and releases the pressure on the friction clutch which has held the pinion from rotation.

The pinion 30 and casing 22 and all parts associated therewith thereupon move counterclockwise (as viewed in Figs. 1 and 3) until the cam portion 51 is disengaged from the stud 58, and until the spring 55 again applies pressure to the friction clutch. In this way the weight 50 is maintained in operative position, regardless of the continued gradual rotation of the warp beam I2 and the gear l5.

It is sometimes necessary to manually adjust the position of the weight 60, particularly when starting a new warp beam, and for this purpose I provide additional mechanism best shown in Basil and 12.

This mechanism comprises a pinion l0 fixed to a shaft H having bearings in the casing 22 and extending forwardly therefrom. A recess 12 is provided in the casing 22 to receive the pinion 1.0 and also to receive a coil spring 13 by which the pinion is normally forced forward to a position where it is out of engagement with the gear 15. A hand wheel 15 is secured to the forward end of the shaft H and affords means by which the pinion 10 may be manually rotated.

A flange or collar 16 is also provided on the outer end of the shaft H, which part engages an offset lug 11 (Figs. 11 and 3) formed at the end .of a laterally projecting portion 18 of the lever 50.

relatively few 'and simple parts and that it is almost impossible for these parts to fail to operate when and as intended. Having thus described my invention and th advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. In a loom having a warp beam, a let-off mechanism comprising a warp beam gear, a pinion meshing therewith, friction means to hold said pinion from rotation, and means rendered operative by continued rotation of the warp beam to temporarily disable said friction means and thereby permit rotation of said pinion. 2. In a loom having a warp beam, a let-oil mechanism comprising a warp beam gear, a pinion meshing therewith, a friction clutch to hold said pinion from rotation, and means rendered operative by continued rotation of the warp beam to temporarily disable said friction clutch and thereby permit rotation of said pinion. V

3. In a loom'having a warp beam, a let-off mechanism comprising a warp beam gear, a pinion meshing therewith, friction means to hold said pinion from rotation, a casing for said gear in which said pinion is mounted, a weight suspended from said casing, friction means effective to normally hold said pinion from rotation in said casing, thereby preventing relative movement of said gear and casing, and means rendered operative by continued rotation of the warp beam mechanism comprising a warp beam gear, a pinion meshing therewith, friction means to hold said pinion from rotation, a casing for said gear in which said pinion is mounted, a weight suspended from said casing, a friction clutch for said pinion, a spring actuated lever rendering said friction clutch normally operative, and means to engage said lever and release said friction clutch on continued rotation of the warp beam, thereby permitting rotation of said pinion.

5. In a loom having a warp beam, 2. let-01f mechanism comprising a warp beam gear, a pinion meshing therewith, friction means to hold said pinion from rotation, a casing for said gear in which said pinion is mounted, a weight suspended from said casing, a friction clutch for said pinion, a spring-actuated lever rendering said friction clutch normally operative, and means to engage said lever and release said friction clutch, said latter means being rendered tempo rarily operative by the unwinding movement of said warp beam.

6. In a loom having a warp beam, a let-off mechanism comprising a warp beam gear, a pinion meshing therewith, friction means to hold iai said pinion from rotation, means rendered operative by continued rotation of the warp beam to temporarily disable said friction means and thereby permit rotation of said pinion, and additional means to rotate said pinion manually.

7. In a loom having a warp beam, 2. let-01f mechanism comprising a warp beam gear, a pinion meshing therewith, friction means to hold said pinion from rotation, means rendered operative by continued rotation of the warp beam to temporarily disable said friction means and thereby permit rotation of said pinion, and additional means to rotate said pinion manually and to simultaneously disable said friction means.

8. In a loom having a warp beam, a lot-off mechanism comprising a warp beam gear, a pinion meshing therewith, friction means to hold said pinion from rotation, a casing for said gear in which said pinion is mounted, a weight suspended from said casing, a friction clutch for said pinion, a spring-actuated lever rendering said friction clutch normally operative, means to engage said lever and release said friction clutch on continued rotation of the warp beam, an axially slidable pinion and hand wheel yieldingly held in normal inoperative position, and a connection between said additional pinion and said lever, whereby movement of said additional pinion to operative position will effect release of said friction clutch.

9. In a loom having a warp beam, 2. let-off mechanism comprising a warp beam gear, a pinion meshing therewith, friction means to hold said pinion from rotation, a device operative to render said friction means normally operative, and means to temporarily disable said device.

10. In a loom having a warp beam, a let-01f mechanism comprising a warp beam gear, a pinion meshing therewith, friction means to hold said pinion from rotation, a lever, a spring engaging said lever and effective to render said friction means normally operative, said lever having a cam portion, and a fixed abutment engaged by said cam portion as said warp beam is advanced, said lever being temporarily moved to a I position in which said friction means is inoperative by such engagement.

OSCAR V. PAYNE. 

